This week's IRS hearing by Congressional Oversight Committee were quite lively. The Democratic talking point was faux outrage at payback to the honorable Elijah Cummings, ranking member, delivered by Catherine Engelbrecht of True the Vote. It seems that Cummings sent her three missives on committee letterhead that Engelbrecht correctly interpreted as intimidation. How else was she to interpret them, coming as they did on the heels of years of abuse by government agencies, and raising the specter of a congressional investigation into alleged voter suppression, a code name for racism?

Apparently having had enough, Engelbrecht and her lawyer, Cleta Mitchell, delivered an in-your-face in the form of a formal complaint filed with the Office of Congressional Ethics alleging an abuse of power.

Their reward was renewed badgering, including a series of questions based on a "study" that strongly implied True the Vote's motivation for purging voter rolls and sending observers to polling places is racist. When in doubt, play the race card. But not as intimidation, of course. Engelbrecht had Cummings' "assurance" on that.

Democrats like Cummings and Virginia's Gerald Connolly just don't seem to get it. When they accuse, belittle, besmirch, and try to intimidate conservative women that Obama has already singled out for harassment by the IRS, OSHA, the ATF, and the FBI, they come off looking very bad indeed. Like bullies. Like race baiters. Like Obama shills.

Committee Republicans, on the other hand, finally got it right, directly tying Obama's rants about phony scandals cooked up by Fox News to the partisan obstruction of the IRS investigation by Democrats on the committee, and their attempt to shift blame to the organizations that were the victims of IRS corruption.

Mr. Stewart is a freelance writer living in Austin, Texas. He is writing a book on the establishment clause and welcomes feedback at edward.stewart27@yahoo.com.